Team selection for the League Cup match against Esh Winning fell to Assistant Manager Steven Stewart and he chose a blend of youth and experience whilst also pitching in some players who were returning from injury, he gave a debut to Jordan Cook while returning to the fold were Adam McGuinness and Brad Forster. There were welcome returns from injury for Kevin Gordon and Stephen Callen while both James Armstrong and Kieran Graham took their respective places on the bench. The team was: Harkess, Richardson, McGuinness, Preston, Forster, Hodgson(c) Gordon, Cook, Callen, J Butler, Martin: Subs: Stewart, Guthrie, T Butler, J Armstrong, Graham.

Some good news on the injury front as Stephen Callen returned to the squad for the match against Dunston UTS and after limping off on Tuesday Liam McBryde declared himself fit enough to go on the bench. Into the starting eleven came Clayton Davis.

Injuries continue to blight the season with the latest to join the queue being Michael Charlton, there are currently ten players receiving treatment which meant that we were down to the bare bones with only 13 fit players and two registered coaches available for the match against Bishop Auckland.

After their historic win against Farsley Celtic in the FA Cup on Saturday the visitors also had injury problems the most notable was the absence of Andy Johnson from the 16.

Craig Hodgson and Michael Charlton returned to the side after the mid-week defeat at Shildon. They replaced the injured Kevin Gordon and James Cassidy. The South Shields team saw the return of Julio Arca after a three week lay off through injury.

RCA started really well and went ahead. Hassan won the ball on the left and played a crossfield ball which evaded Robson and fell to Larkin who slotted the ball past Liversedge.

The ill discipline which has blighted the season so far for RCA supporters reared its ugly head again as McNab was judged to have fouled Ferguson on the edge of the box and was shown a very harsh straight red. That being said it was probably a yellow and the player had already been cautioned.

Within minutes a rash challenge from Gordon earned him a booking and from the free kick the ball was played to Dodds on the left and his cross was met by Micky Rae who headed home past new signing Sam Guthrie.

RCA’s management team were forced to make changes with Bussey out with a fractured ankle and Noble suspended, late fitness tests on Charlton, Cassidy and Gordon proved unsuccessful and none were able to take part. Into the team came Hodgson, and McBryde. New signing Flavio Pereira Da Veiga was on the bench.

After the goalless draw at Meadow Park last week there was an expectation that there would be goals in this game.

On the injury front it was a case of three in and two out as Larkin, Charlton and Gordon all passed fitness tests, Hodgson and Armstrong were ruled out.

As the manager was away on business it was down to Assistant Steven Stewart to make his first team selection of the season and it just happened to be against North Shields who are unbeaten so far this season. The eleven chosen where: Bussey, Noble, McNab, Larkin, Lay, J Davis, Gordon, Charlton, Hassan, McBryde, Cassidy Subs: Richardson, Harkess, Butler, Pounder and Stewart. (Well we can forgive him for naming himself as a substitute).

The visitors also had a managerial change although this one was of a more permanent nature as Jon McDonald takes over from Graham Fenton who has joined South Shields.

The injury list is getting longer by the game with Larkin and Charlton added to it and failing late fitness tests. Included in the team for the trip to Guisborough were club captain Clayton Davis, Hodgson and Cassidy.